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After years of fighting on behalf of the Twin Falls on the Snake River in Idaho, Coalition members recently secured a victory to protect the Falls from drying up.

In 1995, Idaho Power Company, the operator of the Twin Falls hydropower project, proposed to reduce the amount of water flowing through the falls to generate more power. While doing so would have eliminated the natural beauty of the Twin Falls and deprived thousands of visitors of the majestic view that the Falls offers, it would have increased Idaho Power’s income by a mere $50,000 a year.

On January 15, 2014, the California Energy Commission (CEC) adopted a report that concluded hydropower from British Columbia (BC) is not eligible as renewable in California (CA) and recommended not revising (i.e. weakening) the Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) hydropower regulations to allow eligibility. This effectively closes the door on a terrible idea and long process that began in 2008 for California Hydropower Reform Coalition members and BC river advocates.

The Hydropower Reform Coalition and the National Park Service have collaborated to produce an assessment of the recreational issues surrounding a proposed tidal energy project in the Kenai Peninsula near Nikiski Alaska.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) will hold a workshop on October 2, 2013 to explore the possibility of a two-year licensing process for hydropower development at non-powered dams and closed-loop pumped storage projects.